If one takes a step back and observes twenty-first century education and the society behind it, one notices an immense push for students to pursue an instructional path perfectly equipping them to follow societal conventions. Whether this is engineering, mathematics, industry, entrepreneurship, etc., students simply follow the road laid for them by the educational system. Although the above knowledge is priceless, one wonders if this pursuit of conformity is the end-all. Through a brief discussion on humanism and the education system today, one comes to the conclusion that a blend of conventional courses and classic education most effectively trains pupil’s questioning and insight.
After the French invasion of Italy during the 15th century, Plato’s works, Greek Stoicism (Epictetus), Epicureanism (Lucretius), and skepticism (Sextus Empiricus) were reintroduced into the Western world. Translated by Marsilio Ficino (1433-1499) of the Florence Platonic Academy, these documents were studied extensively and utilized to establish the studia humanitatis, or the study of human things. Thus, classical humanism was born. Such a system included grammar, logic, rhetoric, geometry, arithmetic, astronomy, and music, known as the artes liberales (liberal arts). These scholars, called humanists, aspired to discover where mankind’s purpose fell in the scope of history, both past and present. In a world of religious tensions, ruthlessly competitive governments, materialism, and budding global conflict, humanists searched for an answer to restore their troubled society through the ancient Greek and Roman philosophies.
One humanist, Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, after extensive review of the ancient texts, established that all creation was a positive symbol of God. His “Oration on the Dignity of Man” combined humanism, Neoplatonism, Aristotelianism, and mysticism. Pico countered previous belief, in which all of creation was a negative symbol of God. According to Pico, humans, being undoubtedly good, were divine beings. Leonardo da Vinci’s study of human proportion featured a circle representing the celestial world, a square representing the terrestrial world, hidden triangle representing the divine world, and a man straddling all three dimensions. In a direct parallel with the study, Pico argued that humanity could transcend any setting within the universe through self-transformation, only achievable through an extensive study of all humanity’s thoughts and beliefs since the dawn of time. This, he believed, came from observing all ancient documents, understanding every principle theorized by man, and establishing a synthesis to bond all thought together. Believing themselves as divine beings capable of deep knowledge, Pico and other humanists pursued the humanist study through the liberal arts to find an answer to their chaotic world. Pico’s note of society’s flaw and pursuit of his own philosophy through ancient study exemplified perfect humanism: the process of solution by synthesizing the old with the new.
However, the age of humanism and the synthetic study fell wayside as flourishing scientific development and rationalism took hold. With new discoveries and technologies constantly introduced into society, scholars rejected the “backwardness” of humanism. Instead, they sought an education that could provide the technical, scientific, and professional courses necessary to survive in the advancing world. With the advent of machinery, industrialization, Fordism, buying on margin, television, the suburban migration, etc., a quiet study of ancient philosophy seemed almost laughable. How can the artes liberales compare to the booming STEM field today? Does knowing Aristotelian philosophy or biochemical engineering better equip one for society? Surely, in comparing two extremes—a purely humanistically educated individual versus another solely educated in modern, high-demand fields—the former would be a classical Renaissance Man while the latter would be prepared to fulfill societal needs in engineering, a field rapidly growing in popularity. Yet, the Renaissance Man would be seriously lacking in necessary skills to support himself in today’s ever-changing world; the other would be seriously lacking the rich knowledge of the past, the foremost foundation of modern advances.
According to Martha Nussbaum, a philosopher, classicist, ethicist and law professor, “[the humanities and the arts] are being cut away… to stay competitive in the global market… [the ability to] think critically, to probe, to evaluate evidence, to write papers with well-structured arguments, and to analyze the arguments presented to them in other texts… are . . . losing ground.” Likewise, today’s world is riddled with a strenuous push towards advancement. While this is beneficial, seeing as improvement drives efficiency and increases knowledge, previously valued skills are being pushed away in the wake of progress. Classical humanism teaches one the importance of study, analysis, and most importantly, learning from the past. If humanity forgoes its study of their ancestors, will the same mistakes be made again in the future?
Following the launch of the Sputnik in 1957, America instigated a tremendous thrust for students to pursue mathematics and science. In the next half-century, the country experienced a rapid technological growth: e.g., the development of communication via cell phone, acquisition of information via the internet, and transportation via passenger planes. Yet, simultaneously, society began repeating its mistakes of the past unwittingly—buying on credit, conspicuous consumption, etc., which occurred just prior to the Great Depression. While such a disastrous event has not yet occurred, a return to the classics would certainly provide enlightenment onto the current circumstances of the world.
Furthermore, in observing schools today, one notices an alarming trend in cutting funds for the liberal arts.
In observing twenty-first century education and society, one notices a great effort to further technological and societal advancement while pushing aside classical humanism. Ultimately, while it is important to follow an educational path best suited for an individual to someday make the most impact they are able to, an even blend of humanist and modern education would allow one to look ahead and look back at the same time, using the stories of their ancestors to shape the best possible future for our world.